


Sweet Vanilla and Soft Caramel

by NikAdair



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Both boys are hopeless when it comes to love, Lance is flirty but only serious when it comes to Shiro, Shiro is hopelessly oblivious, coffee shop AU, college students, shance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-20
Updated: 2020-04-20
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:01:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23757283
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NikAdair/pseuds/NikAdair
Summary: Lance works in a coffee shop and Shiro is a regular in said coffee shop. Lance has been flirting endlessly for the entire semester with him, but Shiro is so painfully oblivious that it takes Lance being direct until he realizes.
Relationships: Lance/Shiro (Voltron)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 76





	Sweet Vanilla and Soft Caramel

**Author's Note:**

> This is my piece for the Fall into You Shance Anthology! We just got the green light to post our fics! I hope you enjoy!

“One caramel macchiato with extra sweetener for the caramel beauty with the eyes of hazel,” Lance said, adding a dash of cocoa powder to the top of the drink. He spun around, seeing the girl’s face light up bright red. She reached forward and took it, stammering out a thank you. Lance winked, and she quickly scampered out of the shop, looking back at him once through the window before disappearing around the corner.

He took a deep breath, inhaling the scents of the afternoon’s coffee and the remnants of chocolate and caramel hanging in the air. It was empty, quiet, music pouring through the speakers overhead. “Don’t you dare look back, just keep your eyes on me. I said you’re holding back. She said shut up and dance with me,” Lance sang, cleaning the counter of leftover powder and fallen foam. It didn’t take long -- he rarely made a disastrous mess like his coworkers -- and he leaned over the counter’s edge, watching birds fly past the window.

 _Oh, to be as free as a bird, instead of being stuck in school and at work._ Lance sighed. The bell above the door rang, and a chilled breeze swept through the shop. He looked over, seeing a figure in black jeans and a deep purple hoodie walk in. A tuft of white hair peeked out of the front of the grey beanie he wore. He was busy examining something in his sketchbook, a green pencil tucked behind one ear, a pen against his lips.

Lance perked up, moving towards the register. “Hey there handsome,” he said, getting the attention of the man. Shiro, one of his regulars. Nose always buried in his sketchbook or a textbook. Always an afternoon patron, making Lance wonder if all his classes were in the morning, like him.

Shiro looked up at him, and Lance winked, giving him a flirtatious smile. Shiro didn’t really react, giving him a hint of a smile and the faintest of blushes, before ordering. “Can I get my usual?” he asked, looking back down at his sketchbook. Lance deflated a little, but it didn’t last long. He was always a sucker for his voice -- velvety, deep, rich. The first he’d heard it, he’d gotten goosebumps.

“One venti iced vanilla with cream, coming right up!” Shiro peeked up, smiling -- a heart stuttering smile -- causing smile lines to crease around his eyes. It was only for a second, his attention once again drawn to his sketchbook. Lance took a second to keep his face from heating up, and grabbed a cup, writing “Shiro” in flowing script, adding a small heart to the “i”. It was cheesy, he knew this, but he’d been flirting with the man for months. It’s times like that he had to be bold and cheesy.

“So, Shiro, how are classes?” Lance asked, turning away to make his drink. Vanilla wafted into his face, and he hummed happily.

“Not terrible. Music history is killing me though,” Shiro said. Lance looked over his shoulder, seeing Shiro’s brows furrowed.

“So you’re a music major? Performance or education?” He turned back to the drink, adding the cream. He watched it bleed into the coffee, creating a gradient of browns and tans.

“Education,” Shiro said, his voice sheepish and filled with embarrassment. A second of silence, and then another line. “I’m not good enough to be a performer.” A muttered phrase, meant mostly for Shiro, filled with bitterness. Resentment. A tone Lance was all too familiar with.

He spun around, a warm smile spread across his features. “Well, Shiro the soon the be amazing teacher, I’m sure you play amazingly.” He handed him the drink, their fingers brushing slightly, sending sparks across his skin and up his arm.

When Shiro spoke again, his voice had softened some of the harsh edges. “Let’s hope so.” He stood there for a second, looking down at his drink, and Lance finally cracked.

“Shiro.” He waited until Shiro looked up at him before continuing. “You may not think so, but others will find your playing one of the most beautiful things they’ve ever heard.” Shiro blinked up at him, looking speechless, and a sudden surge of courage pushed Lance to continue.

“You’re so dedicated, anyone could tell by how hard you study. You’re so patient, not only because you chose to go into education, but because you spend so much time drawing.

“I see you here practically everyday, and you’re so predictable. You get the same drink and take the same window seat. The sunlight always plays just right, and it practically looks like you’re glowing. You are _so_ beautiful, and there’s no way your playing doesn’t match it.” Lance finished in a rush, feeling heat creep up his neck.

He hadn’t realized he’d looked away from Shiro, but when he looked back, he found the man completely red-faced, his sketchbook clutched tightly to his chest. “You don’t know how long I’ve been trying to get you to see this,” Lance whispered. “How long I’ve spent flirting and trying to get the courage to say all of this.”

Shiro broke from his spell, finally speaking. “You’ve been flirting with me?”

Lance laughed, a slightly crazed laugh filled with nothing but affection. “Have been for months, thank you noticing.” Shiro pouted a little, and Lance laughed again. “You’re the only one I’ve ever tried to actually flirt with.”

Shiro was quiet for a moment, and Lance could see an internal battle in his eyes, before he took a deep breath. “I-I’ve been trying to get the courage to confess to you too, for months. But I”m not very good at it, so…” His voice trailed off, and he pulled the sketchbook away from his chest, flipping a few pages, turning it towards Lance.

Lance’s eyes widened, letting out a quiet “wow”. A portrait of himself looked back at him -- a side profile, shadows playing across his face and figure. A wide smile set on his lips and laugh lines around his eyes. Pure, unfiltered joy clear in the picture, infectious as he looked over his own features. It was so lifelike, drawn perfectly.

His eyes scanned over the page once, twice, three times, before he finally saw the text at the bottom of it. A question, short, but one that had his heart racing. _Will you go out with me?_

Lance looked back up at Shiro, who had a sheepish smile. “Well?” His voice was quiet, hopeful, and Lance didn’t even have to think about it.

“Yes! A million times yes!” Shiro let out a breath, his features relaxing. Lance tugged the sketchbook from his hands, pulling the pencil from behind Shiro’s ear. Shiro let out a noise, and he chuckled, quickly writing his number in the sketchbook. He was careful to pick a part of the page that wouldn’t interrupt the picture, writing lightly enough that if Shiro decided to erase it, it wouldn’t be visible in any way.

Lance handed it back to him, and Shiro was quick to text Lance. “So, how about a coffee date this weekend?” Lance asked, winking.

“How about a picnic instead?” Shiro suggested, shaking his head, a smile plastered on his face. Lance nodded, smiling back. “Alright, so I”ll pick you up on Saturday then. See ya later handsome.” Shiro took a drink of his coffee, winking, and Lance sputtered, watching Shiro leave.

_He may not be coffee, but man, does he get my heart racing._


End file.
